November 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. With this milestone anniversary comes a dizzying amount of books chronicling not only the assassination but also his life and presidency. I have put together a list of recommended reading from the vast array of new books:
Where Were You? America Remembers the JFK Assassination, by Gus Russo
Authors, politicians, cultural icons and citizens who watched the coverage of the assassination talk about how lives and history were changed that fatal day in November 1963. This is the accompanying volume to the Tom Brokaw NBC documentary.
Parkland, by Vincent Bugliosi
This is a reprint of a 2007 book formerly titled Four Days in November. It was made into a motion picture slated for DVD release on Nov. 5, 2013.
November 22, 1963: Reflections on the Life, Assassination, and Legacy of John F. Kennedy
100 interviews with JFK’s nearest and dearest , this book avoids the conspiracy-theory hot buttons and provides a quality anecdotal recitation of events.
The Kennedy Half-Century, by Larry Sabato
This book covers the JFK presidency and how it shaped the last 50 years.
The Day Kennedy Died: 50 Years Later: LIFE Remembers the Man and the Moment
LIFE Magazine produces a compilation of their magazine coverage of the assassination
The Letters of John F. Kennedy, edited by Martin W. Sandler
A collection of letters between JFK, some never before published, and Harry Truman, John Kerry, John Wayne, Martin Luther King Jr. and others
Camelot’s Court: Inside the Kennedy White House, by Robert Dallek
A detailed account of the politics of the Kennedy administration.
These Few Precious Days: the Final Year of Jack with Jackie, by Christopher Andersen
An expose of the marriage of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.
Five Days in November, by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin
Secret Service agent Clint Hill narrates the drama of the assassination as depicted in over 150 photos from the time period.
Kennedy and Reagan: Why Their Legacies Endure, by Scott Farris
The Kennedy and Reagan presidencies were very different but had a similar impact on American history. Farris examines how the two presidents differed and relates how their legacies still matter today.